laography | she fell in love in the first place

[She immediately responds by putting her arms around his neck again, letting his nose rest against her temple for a few moments before she buries her face in the fur at the side of his neck and finally begins to let the tears flow freely, hiccups once again surfacing as she sobbed against him. Her tiny shoulders shakes violently, as if being freed from the vehicle was all it took for the shock to begin to numb and the floodgates to open.

None of this was supposed to happen. It couldn't have been real. She wanted to wake up now.

Any minute now, she was going to wake up, wasn't she?]

Edited 2013-04-06 04:26 (UTC)

[By now, Stiles' ears are pretty much trained to the sound of howling. One of his best advantages as the sheriff (job gratefully accepted after his father retired) was his attuning to both the natural and supernaturally inclined, and between him and Derek, they kept Beacon Hills generally safe and free of chaos.

He's sitting with his feet up in his patrol car when he hears it--the low, faint sound, elegant compared to rough, Derek. There's no text message (that usually comes first at Stiles' bequest--please try not to howl at me because I do not, contrary to popular belief, speak wolf) and he bites his lip, pushing forward in the seat and flipping on the siren, pulling out of the parking lot he was sitting in and shooting out down the road.

It doesn't take him long to find Derek, GPS on his phone tracked, and the car skids to a stop by the wreck. He turns off the car and gets out, expression horrified for just a moment before he grimly swallows and strides forward, spotting the hulking shape that he could pick out of anywhere and hurrying towards him.

At first, he doesn't see the little girl--turns towards the wreck and the people inside, checking his watch and going for his radio. It takes a few seconds to report, and he starts out saying no survivors, but stops, taking a glance back at Derek.

There's a little girl in his arms. His voice trails off and he murmurs:]

One survivor. [ Before chucking the radio aside and dropping to his knees in front of them, sharing a meaningful look with the wolf. ]

Hi, sweetie. [ There's a little sadness to his voice, the tinge of helping enough kids who've lost their parents since he took his position, of hearing it from his dad. ] I'm glad Der the Wondewolf here found you. My name's Stiles, what's yours?

[ As Anita starts to cry into his fur, Derek wraps her up and holds her carefully against him, practically curling over her. It's no wonder that Stiles doesn't see her at first, as he simply sits there and rumbles, deep in his chest. There's barely a sound to go with it, more of a comforting, subvocal vibration to try and soothe her a little. But there's not much he can really do, beyond that and taking her pain away for a couple hours.

By then, she'll be in a hospital, and her physical pain will be completely gone. The emotional, however...

His ears flick a little as he hears the approach of the siren, and quiet relief hits him. He could very well locate where he left his things for the patrol of his territory, but he doesn't want to leave the little girl alone for a moment. So having Stiles coming to his call? He probably couldn't have asked for a better packmate to answer him.

Head barely lifting as the sheriff comes down, the alpha sets a pawed hand between the girl's shoulders gently, nosing at her hair and chuffing gently, reassuring her. Only when Stiles approaches them does he look up, red eyes serious and...

Well, maybe a little pleading. She's different, he can tell, and she's alone. ]

[She peeks upwards from her place against the wolf's chest, a bit confused as she studies the new arrival. Der the Wonderwolf? He had a name?

Well, of course he had a name. Everyone did, didn't they?

She sniffles a little, hesitant.]

I-it's Anita. Anita Blake.

[Her tears have mostly subsided, though perhaps it's just that she's run out of them at this point.]

He saved me.

Hi, Anita. He's kind of awesome like that. [ He meets Derek's gaze with a similar one of his own--needless to say they're on the same wavelength. Her parents died, and they'd been talking and-- there was no reason why they couldn't...

Either way. ] I'm glad he's been taking good care of you, and I bet he's glad you're safe. Right, Derek? [ He casts a small smile in his direction, then reaches his hand out, offering it to Anita. ] He's gonna stay with us, I bet. But we have to get you to the hospital, alright?

[ Ears wilting back with Anita's second answer to Stiles, Derek looks down to her, then up from under his brow at Stiles. It's a good thing that they're on the same wavelength, just as much of a relief as being found is. Nevermind that the foster system is a terrifying place for a kid, with or without losing their parents like this, but it's not a place for this kid at all.

He can tell she's different. She's special. She needs that help.

Shifting carefully, he moves his pawhand to the top of her head, encouraging her with a short nod to both her and Stiles. He'll stay, until the ambulance arrives. ]

[She nods stiffly, though her eyes widen at the mention of a hospital. She knows she needs to go, but she's still in shock, to a certain degree, and she's never liked hospitals. The word alone makes her uncomfortable.]

Okay... okay. Thank you.

[She hugs the wolf around the neck again, her face disappearing into his fur once more.]

Does he help a lot? Are you with the police, doggy?

[ Almost immediately, he's reminded of himself in the hospital with his mother--it brings a familiar stab of pain and sympathy to his gut, and he brings up one of his hands to mirror Derek's, resting between her shoulders and fingers coming up to curl gently over the back of her neck, a familiar pressure he'd picked up on from Derek so many years ago. Stiles' voice is measured as he speaks, calm as possible.]

He's with me. [ And his eyes track up to meet Derek's for just a moment. ] You know how people say a dog's man's best friend? Well Derek here's...even more than that. [ Stiles turns his head to smile at her. ] People in the police promise to protect and serve, and he's a great protector--kind of the best one in the world.

Just like me, and just like my dad before me. [ He offers his other hand, outstretched slowly. ] And we're gonna protect you.

[ There's quiet pride in Derek's eyes as Stiles meets his gaze again, expression soft as he takes note of where his hand has settled. Making contact with her, trying to offer her that comforting pressure that any alpha would give to a pup, warms something in him despite his own pain and sympathy towards the little girl.

Briefly, he bows his massive head forward, bumping his forehead into Stiles' as he looks down at Anita tucked against him. His only answer is an agreeable chuff, which is loud enough to almost border on a low bark, as he feels a determination settling in him.

Anita Blake is now lost, alone, and hurting, but Derek will make sure it's not for long. ]

[She fell asleep not long after that, tucked against Derek's chest as they waited for the ambulance.

She lost time then, not knowing how much of it had passed when she woke up. The hospital bed was too white, too sterile. When she comes to and looks around the room, she spots the sheriff there, and another man that feels familiar, but who she doesn't recognize. There's a doctor standing at the end of the bed, and she frowns as she looks to him, forehead creasing with worry.]

Where's the doggy that saved me?

[ Derek, arms crossed as he stands with Stiles and oversees the doctor's assessment, turns his attention to Anita when she comes to. He visibly perks, straightening next to Stiles as clear eyes-- not red like the wolf's, but still with a similar intensity to them-- hone in on the little girl. ]

Doggy? It was just Sheriff Stilinski, sweetheart.

[ The doctor, of course, is completely unaware of the truth of the matter, but smiles sympathetically as if he wants to indulge her in the apparent "hallucination." ]

[ Stiles himself is leaning backwards a little towards Derek, keeping an appraising eye on the situation at hand as the doctor looks her over. He hadn't had a chance to talk with Derek in all actuality yet, but it seemed that they were more or less on the same page--when the doctor nods at him, he puts on his best Official Sheriff Face (learned from getting it about a thousand times from his dad when he did something he wasn't supposed to) and nods. ]

If you don't mind, I just need to ask Miss Anita here a few questions. [ And just like that, the doctor nods and turns, heading out of the room. Stiles drops the face in two seconds and walks over to her side, reaching a hand out and brushing it over her bangs. ]

I'm totally kidding about the questions, I promise. You remember me, and...[ And he hazards a glance to Derek. ] And Derek. Right?

[She looks hesitant for a moment, then nods, not bothering to pull away when he reached out to touch her hair. She wasn't a girl who was terribly shy of adults, even strangers -- though these two didn't fall under that second category, as far as she was concerned. She recognized the sheriff's face. He'd helped her.]

I remember you.

[She says that with certainty, but looks a little less sure as she turns to narrow her dark gaze at the other man in the room, curious. It takes a moment, but when she meets his eyes, there's something familiar there, and her expression brightens as much as it can, given the circumstances.]

You. You're the doggy?

[She sounds awed, looking between the two of them before turning her attention back to Derek. She was grateful to them both, but--]

You saved me.

[Her voice cracks, threatening tears again.]

[ Derek tracks the doctor back out into the hall, before his attention is solely focused on the girl in the bed. Something in him seems to relax a little, softening all around as her own expression brightens. Her reaction warms him, and he can't help but offer her a smile-- especially when her voice cracks, and he has to step forward to her.

He offers her a hand quietly, giving her his most reassuring look as he can before he allows red to bleed through into his eyes. ]

I am. [ His fingers brush hers, briefly. ] And I couldn't have just left you there.

We're not planning on it, either. [ Stiles blurts that out a little quicker than he was expecting to--apparently, in his ten or so years since meeting Derek and getting involved in this supernatural business, the one thing he hadn't learned was tact.

But, because he's Stiles, he continues to soldier on. ] With what happened, I talked it over with Social Services and did a little begging I'm really not proud of, but.

[ Leaning down, he turns his gaze directly on Anita, eye-to-eye. ] If you'd like, you can come and stay with us. Derek and I live here in Beacon Hills, all by ourselves, and we have a huge house, with a big yard, and we're totally gonna get a trampoline even if Derek's kind of a butt about it. And basically, I think the only thing in the whole world we're missing is an awesome kid to share it with.

[ Wow, he's awkward about this. ]

[The change in Derek's eyes might have scared another child to tears, but all she could do was muster a smile, reassured despite the tears that had begun to well up for different reasons entirely. She curls her fingers against his, glad for the comfort of another person's touch, even if she had never seen either of them before tonight.

She wanted to thank him again, but the words wouldn't come. The Sheriff caught her attention easily when he leaned down to meet her gaze, and she gingerly reached up to rub the tears from her eyes with one hand while she listened intently, taking a moment to fully grasp what he was offering.]

You mean... you want me to...?

[She was still in shock from having lost her parents; it was likely to be a long, long while before that actually wore off, but this offer softened it. She knew where kids without parents usually went. It wasn't all that nice, from her limited understanding. But this--

Tears finally managed to fall, and for a moment, the only answer she could give him was an eager nod. Yes. She wanted to go with them.]

[ Derek chuffs softly as Stiles rambles, keeping a cringe back as he oh-so tactfully offers Anita their proposition. Not that he expected any different, but it's still... well, it's Stiles. The red bleeds out of his eyes, returning to the green-and-hazel of his humanity before he settles to sit on the edge of the hospital bed. She's so small in it, he really can't stand the image. ]

They're going to keep you a little bit longer here, but once they let you go you'll come with us.

[ Reaching his free hand out, he brushed his thumb over her cheek and offered her a small smile. There was no attempts to stop the tears, and no words to reassure that they weren't necessary. Not when he and Stiles both had been there, losing family in the worst ways they could.

And Anita's parents would be taken care of without her having to worry about anything, that much he knew for sure. He wasn't going to just let the state take care of that, not when it was so impersonal and disregarded them as people-- disregarded that there would be a grieving child left behind. ]

[ It's almost undeniable how quick his face lights up when Anita says yes. Stiles wasn't expecting her to say no, but at the same time, it's kind of realizing something that they've been talking about for ages, and saving a little girl who's lost everything at the same time. He's been there--he can't imagine losing his dad, especially after the crushing blow that his mom's death had dealt him so many years ago. Anita was still young, and she deserved every good grace they could possibly give her.

There was something about this kid. Some kind of spark. And a long, long time ago, Stiles had learned to be watchful for sparks.

His mouth crooks up in a grin as Derek leans in to talk to her, and he plops down in the chair beside her bed. ]

And then you and I can get started on convincing Derek for that trampoline.

[Anita reaches up tentatively to lay her tiny hand against Derek's as he touches her cheek, her dark gaze moving back and forth between the two of them as she tries hard to blink back tears. Even now, even this young, she doesn't like the idea of other people seeing her cry. She wants to be brave, but everything hurts.

She knows, though, that she's gotten lucky. She was lucky that these two were the ones to find her.]

A trampoline...

[Thinking about that was easier than anything else right now. It hurt less.

She offers Derek a hopeful smile, though it's a bit shaky and her cheeks are tearstained.]

I've never been on one.

[ Giving Stiles a dry look as he, once again, brings up the trampoline, Derek turns his attention back to Anita. Bowing his head forward, he briefly taps his forehead to hers-- she's just a kid, lost and alone and hurting, and he's been there-- and offering her a quiet smile. ]

We'll change that.

[ And he looks into her dark eyes for a moment, almost searching as he considers the teary gaze.

That pain strikes him, and he rubs his thumb on her cheek, taking away a trail of tears. After having lost everything of his own, he's going to try and make sure that Anita won't have to go through it again. ]

I know it hurts. But you're being so brave, and I promise we'll be here to help you.

she fell in love in the first place

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threadjacks aw yes

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	For the life of me, I cannot remember What made us think that we were wise And we'd never compromise For the life of me, I cannot believe We'd ever die for these sins We were merely freshmen